Tuesday, February 18, 2020

A short dispatch

Hi all! I'm waving wildly over here, from the significant mess that is my life right now. After six months of living in this house, it is finally time to banish the brown and gray, and I could not be happier, even though it has made a real mess around here. For those of you who don't remember, or maybe I never said, every room in our new place in Maryland is painted either brown or gray, with gray floors. Yeah, not great, and seriously depressing. But now it's being painted over in some lovely, happier colors! I can't wait until they're done so that I can finally feel at home.

That's the long way of saying that there has not been a lot of stitching around here. I did do a few things, so here's just a small update:

That's not snow in the background-- it's bright sunshine. Spring is on the way!

This is the slab of fabric for the orange scrap basket. It measures about 18 by 24 right now, before quilting. It's just amazing to me that all those little bits can go together into such a bright and happy piece. I have plenty of orange bits left over, too. I'll be quilting this little one up and turning it into a scrap basket really soon.

The only other thing I got a chance to do was make a second block for the Color Challenge at Patterns by Jen:


This is a really cute block, and the new one is almost the last bits of one of my favorite aquas ever.  I will be sorry to see that one finished. You can still join in in the color challenge, and it looks like the next color up is orange, so I'll be all set!

To end this little dispatch, for anyone who's interested, we did find a new car. It is awesome and has all kinds of nifty bells and whistles, including a backup camera, which is changing my life. So, that nightmare is over!

Hope you're all having a good week! I'll just be over here, dodging paint cans and second-guessing my color choices.  Once this is done, the men with jackhammers and saws come to work on the other parts of the place, so I guess this is the calm before the storm. Happy stitching!

Sharing at Midweek Makers, Patterns by Jen, and soscrappy for RSC20.

21 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

it takes awhile to repaint every room in a house especially after you have furnished it - I bet it is a lot happier place now. Brown and gray does seem kind of drab to me too

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

That's a wonderfully zesty orange piece. I do love orange in quilts (even though it's not super fashionable).
You won't know yourself with brighter walls. Your home will feel lighter and airier.

ButterZ said...

I'm loving the orange...

Marly said...

The previous occupants must have been REALLY AFRAID of colour!

Jerilea Hendrick said...

A few years ago when we were trying to sell our house, we had so many colors our realtor encouraged us to paint the rooms either "relocation beige" or "relocation grey". After almost 4 years on the market, it worked. I guess lots of people cant image beyond beige and grey. Boring.

Louise said...

Cute blocks! Back in the 70s, we bought a house with walls painted chocolate brown, pumpkin orange, and baby barf green. Now that was TOO MUCH color! :)

piecefulwendy said...

Oh, I love that orange slab!! And yay for sunshine -- we had some and I think a bit more will peek out today. I'm full of nervous energy today, as my daughter is defending her thesis this afternoon. So I need to find things to keep me busy. I may get out of the house and do a bit of shopping. Then sewing later. Glad the car woes are done! Yay for new paint colors!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

A fresh coat of paint always a huge difference in a room - you'll love having it all done! Your scrappy orange slab is bright and fun, and your Color Challenge blocks are looking great, too! Glad you've had some time to sew.

Angela said...

I love the orange piece. It is so bright and cheerful!

KaHolly said...

Everything in its own time! You have to occupy the space before you can effectively change it. I’m sure it will be beautiful when all is said and done. Love your orange flimsy. It will make a great scrap basket! Congratulations on your new car! Too bad it doesn’t do dishes, too!

Bernie Kringel said...

Sounds like so much is going on Mari. Tell them to do the sewing room first so you can hide out in there while they do the rest!
Love the orange scrappy improv. It will be a cute scrap basket.

Marti said...

It's hard to get any sewing done when there is remodeling going on too, so you did well to get this much done. That orange will make such a pretty basket. Good luck with all your projects.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

ohhh Love your Orange quilt!!! So glad your house is starting to feel like home!

Preeti said...

Mari, it is YOU who makes things bright and beautiful, not the paint. Love all your blocks and WIPs.
But when the gray/brown is all gone and you have happier colors, you know more people will want to visit...
Hope you are up for some quilty quality time, minus the threat of blizzards.

Susan said...

Love all those oranges - they can come live at my house!

The Joyful Quilter said...

LOL!! What a saga you've got going on. SEW glad that you found a moment to stitch up that bright ORANGE Slab!

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

This orange quilt is just what you need to brightened your house! Beautiful!

maggie fellow said...

color is always a good thing

Kathy S. said...

Hang in there. My chickens in Ohio decided to start laying eggs after their winter break. Spring is definitely on its way. My chickens haven't been wrong yet.

I don't understand the modern "grey" fad. In our area even McDonalds remodeled and painted their building grey. Yuck. Definitely not as happy as the yellow arches they once had. Happy sewing. Sew bright colors everywhere. :)

Jo said...

To each his or her own but I agree. I have no liking for gray decor. Love your orange scrap basket piece. Bright is more my speed.

Susie H said...

Lovely orange slab. Will make a cheerful quilt. I never thought I'd like or use the backup camera in my car when I got it a couple of years ago. Now I love it! Hope your week is good and the painters give you a break before the noice & dust arrive!